1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for providing multimedia portal contents in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an IP (Internet Protocol) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) refers to a system for providing IP-based packet communication services. The IMS stands on the basis of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) which is a text-based application layer control protocol. The SIP is based on a client/server structure in which a server responds to clients' call initiation, and enables one or more participants to jointly establish, modify and terminate a session. Such a session includes teleconferencing, telephony, interviewing, event notification, Instant Messaging (IM) and so forth, all using the Internet. The SIP follows the existing text-based internet standards, and thus facilitates fault repair, network debugging, etc.
In an SIP-based multimedia telephony environment, a 180 ringing message is used for providing a ring-back tone to a calling terminal. If the calling terminal receives the 180 ringing message, it generates a local ring-back tone or reproduces ring-back tone data contained within the 180 ringing message to thereby provide the ring-back tone to a calling terminal user.
Also, in the SIP-based multimedia telephony environment, an INVITE message is used for providing a bell to a called terminal. If the called terminal receives the INVITE message, it generates an already stored bell or reproduces ring-back tone data contained within the INVITE message to thereby provide the stored bell or ring-back tone to a called terminal user.
In the existing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) communication systems, a calling terminal has been provided with only a basic ring-back tone or a ring-back tone predetermined by a calling-/called-party, and a called terminal has also been provided with only a pre-stored audio bell.
That, in the conventional communication systems, a calling terminal and a called terminal have been provided with a bell or a ring-back tone irrespective of their user's intentions, preferences and tastes. This is because there is a conventional terminals and corresponding resources (e.g., telephone systems) have limited performance for providing multimedia alerting. However, as current communication systems evolve from the 3G communication systems to the 4G communication systems, terminals are also upgraded to high performance terminals so as to be fully compatible with the 4G communication system. Further, service levels demanded by users are becoming correspondingly higher.